Tag Archives: Cyberpunk

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an older title at this point and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be shipping next year (we hope, it’s been delayed until August now). I recently replayed Human Revolution in preparation for Mankind Divided’s eventual release, and because the director’s cut version which included the Missing Link DLC went on ludicrous Steam sale.

I bought Deus Ex: Human Revolution, originally, because of how much I adored the original Deus Ex. The sheer number of moments in the original game where I’d take an action I’d assume would be curtailed by the game’s design (as was so often the case in Half-Life or other titles) only to be rewarded by a fork in the story just utterly blew me away. Gaming has had branching storylines for a long time. My first encounter with it was Wing Commander. But Deus Ex had this uncanny ability to predict the moments when I might interfere with what was otherwise scripted events, and be ready for whatever I could throw at it. What it did especially well, was give me non-lethal, and indeed non-combat options to resolve conflicts.

Klei Entertainment, responsible for Don’t Starve and Mark of the Ninja, once again impressed me with their ability to produce atmosphere. What boggles me is how effectively they do this in a completely different genre. While sharing some of the thematic elements of Mark of the Ninja, Invisible Inc. feels nothing like a classic ninja story and everything like dystopian corporate espionage. The game has a lot to offer a variety of audiences, even those who would otherwise turn their nose up at a turn-based tactical title.

As a turn-based, squad-tactics game it delivers a gorgeous, compact, and profoundly replayable experience in the tradition of roguelike games (read: replayable, very difficult games). This last bit is a trait it shares with Don’t Starve, but again this game feels nothing like that survival/horror title. If anything, Invisible Inc. delivers a more pure roguelike experience: you can sit down and do an entire playthrough of the game in a single (albeit extended) sitting: roughly four hours of gameplay before the DLC.